


Black Hole

by TheDarknessFactor



Series: The Scientific Implications of Two Sisters [9]
Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Legends: The Old Republic
Genre: Canon-Typical Violence, Cross-Faction Alliance, F/F, Gen, One-sided Reunion, Oricon, Siblings, Sister-Sister Relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-09-25
Updated: 2016-09-25
Packaged: 2018-08-17 07:19:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,540
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8135156
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheDarknessFactor/pseuds/TheDarknessFactor
Summary: Even after almost twenty years, Kulah'ni hasn't forgotten.
(Neither has Darth Nox.)





	

**Author's Note:**

> This might make more sense if you read the rest of the works in the series, but they aren't required if you just want some good old fashioned cross-faction alliance stuff.
> 
> Enjoy!

It's their second day inside an escape pod.

For the third time, Kulah'ni passes out ration bars to her teammates.  It's no exaggeration that they all look like zombies right now; the miasma of despair that hangs over Oricon weighs them down both physically and mentally.  Most of their chewing movements are mechanical.  The ration bars taste like ash. 

The cramped space isn't doing anyone any favors.  In addition to being hotter than a Sarlacc Pit, Tanno and Yuun's toes touch when they're sitting across from one another.  Kulah'ni doesn't have a problem with being pressed up against Elara's side, but she suspects that Aric isn't quite as okay with being in the same situation with Tanno.

They had all known this was a bad idea.  Their stalwart general disagreed, however, and insisted that they remain on the cruiser instead of landing the Thunderclap planet-side.  Somehow (and Kulah’ni knows exactly how), they ended up close enough to the surface to get hit with anti-air turbolasers. 

Hence the reason that she, her squad, and hundreds of other Republic soldiers are currently camped out in escape pods across Oricon.

Elara is slumped against Kulah’ni, her head on her shoulder.  At this angle Kulah’ni can’t see Elara’s eyes, but she knows that they must be open.  The heaviness in the air keeps all of their heartrates just high enough that sleep is impossible, no matter how exhausted they may be.  Kulah’ni has been regularly running through her meditative exercises to keep the manic episodes at bay, and has even attempted to teach the rest of the crew.

Unsurprisingly, Yuun is the only one who took to them.  The rest only became more frustrated.

Kulah’ni knows that sitting around isn’t helping, but she also knows that it’s about ten times worse outside.  Even with their helmets on, they will have far less protection against the madness and the atmosphere than they do in here.

She wonders how many squads have lost their minds already.

She is about to begin another round of meditative exercises when, without warning, a lightsaber pierces the hull.

Kulah’ni stares at the blade.  It’s struck at the end of the escape pod, where (thankfully) no one is sitting.  The smell of melted durasteel hits her nostrils as the lightsaber slices a neat circle through the escape pod; she scoots herself and Elara away from that end of the pod as the cutout of the hull falls inward.

A wave of nausea washes over her; she thinks she hears laughter in her mind, and breathes in to combat the hallucinations.

“Helmets on, quickly,” comes a distorted voice.  “We have little time.”

‘Full Sith regalia’ doesn’t quite cover what the woman who strides into their escape pod is wearing.  For a brief moment, Kulah’ni can’t help but remember the monster that S’kora used to describe from her nightmares, but that vague image quickly resolves itself into what is clearly a woman.  She has already deactivated her lightsaber and is motioning for them to stand up.  Her helmet prevents Kulah’ni from figuring out where she is looking, exactly, but she thinks that the woman’s gaze lingers on her longer than the others.

She shoves her helmet on as quickly as possible, but hefts her holdout blaster in her hand and stays in front of her team.

Kulah’ni has seen holos of each Dark Council member before.  They’re all very… distinct, and the newest one (Nox) is no different.  The rumor goes that she killed her predecessor in front of the rest of the Council, but that’s about all Kulah’ni knows.

She thinks she hears a sigh.  “Ashara, convince them.”

A Togrutan woman appears next to her.  “I used to be part of the Jedi Order.  Nox allowed me to remain true to my beliefs and offered me protection.  You can trust her.  Right now, the Dread Masters are our mutual enemies.”

“So concisely put,” Nox says.  “Now hurry up.  There are others we need to get to.”

Kulah’ni signals to her squad, who all follow her silently out of the pod.

Ashara approaches her with a datapad a moment later.  “These are coordinates to our base camp.  We’re sending all the soldiers we can find there.  There’s protection from the Dread Masters’ influence.”

The mania is already making it hard to breathe, so Kulah’ni doesn’t question her.

They part ways from Nox and her… apprentice?  Protégé?  Kulah’ni isn’t sure— and head in the direction of the camp.  It feels like it takes an eternity to reach it, and sometimes Kulah’ni is convinced that she is wading through a quagmire, but eventually there are Imperial sentries in sight.  They don’t fire, and once Havoc makes their way past them, it’s suddenly far easier to breathe.

Other Republic soldiers are already there, huddled together as far away from the other Imperials as possible.  Kulah’ni makes her way there.

“Major Dorne!” someone calls, recognizing her insignia.  The young captain who had been on the bridge of the cruiser hurries up to her and salutes.

“At ease,” she says.  There’s a sinking feeling in her gut.

“The general didn’t make it out of his escape pod in time – they were overrun by the Dread Masters’ forces.  You’re the highest ranking officer here.”

Kulah’ni closes her eyes, grateful for the helmet hiding her face.  “Has someone been keeping a head count?  How many have we been able to get here?”

“56 so far, sir.  Everyone’s been rescued by that same Sith.  She must’ve been at it for hours.”

There is a grudging admiration in his voice.  Still, they all know that said Sith is probably hoping for their aid in fighting the Dread Masters.  Kulah’ni isn’t looking forward to it.

“Have someone check for wounded, and treat them.  Everyone else should focus on resting, eating, and getting water.  We don’t know how soon we’re going to be needed again.”

The captain salutes again, hurrying away to bark out orders.  Kulah’ni pulls off her helmet again, rubbing at her eyes, and notices her squad doing the same around her.  Elara looks like she’s about to fall over, and Yuun and Aric don’t look much better.

“What a mess,” Aric mutters.

Kulah’ni doesn’t need to remind him that the Dread Masters can’t be allowed to unleash their power on the galaxy, but even she has her doubts.  She had no idea that Oricon would be this… much.

Even with the protection offered by the camp, it’s difficult for her to even contemplate sleeping.  “Tell the Captain that I’m going to speak with the Imperial leaders here.”

“Yes, sir,” Aric replies.

Elara catches her eye and offers her a wan smile as she leaves.

* * *

 

Lord Hargrev turns out to be the one keeping every single person in the camp from going insane.

As wary as Kulah’ni is of being under the protection of a Sith, she’ll take what she can get.  She speaks to Maiya Vix instead, getting up to speed on the situation and digesting all of the information she can.

The outlook isn’t promising.

“They sent Havoc squad for an orbital strike?” Maiya asks her.

Kulah’ni gives a short laugh.  “We’re the backup.”

Judging by Maiya’s wan smile, the irony doesn’t escape her either.

She discusses battle strategies and possible ways of penetrating the Dread Masters’ defenses with the other Imperial leaders.  They all seem even more wary of her than she is of them; sometimes Kulah’ni forgets that Havoc squad is a symbol of efficient destruction in the Empire.

Nox arrives after two hours, with one last Republic squad in tow.  They’re been trickling in slowly, but Kulah’ni knows not to expect any more now.

“Major,” Nox says, approaching the strategy meeting.  “I was hoping to see you here.”

_I bet you were,_ Kulah’ni thinks.  “Nox,” she replies, nodding her head in greeting.

The rest of the Imperials tense up, nervously glancing at the dark lord.  Kulah’ni doesn’t look away from the red tinted eyeholes in Nox’s mask, keeping her breathing even and not letting panic overtake her.

After a moment, Nox looks at Maiya.  “What’s our next objective?”

Up until then, Maiya had been staring at Kulah’ni with her mouth open, but she quickly recovers. 

“We need the terra-forming devices disabled as soon as possible.  They’re located in this sector here…”

Kulah’ni pays close attention to the instructions, mentally going over hit-and-run guerilla tactics for hitting each target— the area is crawling with corrupted soldiers and Sith, and she doesn’t want to think about how a full-frontal assault would go.  It’s a good exercise for her brain, even though it seems clear to her that Nox is planning on taking care of them herself.

It strikes Kulah’ni as oddly proactive for a Dark Council member, but she doesn’t question it.

“I’ll set out immediately,” Nox states, once the briefing is over.  “Major, you’re with me.”

That startles Kulah’ni.  Maiya frowns.

“My lord, I really must object.  The Major will not have the protection she requires out in the field—“

“She’ll have my protection.  That much I can guarantee.”

Kulah’ni shakes herself out of her stupor and nods.  “Alright.  I need to touch base with the Republic forces first.”

“No time,” Nox snaps.  “They’ll need to be resting anyway.  We aren’t far from a full-scale battle now.”

There is a dark promise in her words.  Kulah’ni can only nod.

* * *

 

She is instructed to stay close to Nox the entire time.  She discovers why when it seems they’re about to be discovered by a tall Sith Lord, and his eyes slide right past where they’re standing.  When they are forced into combat, Kulah’ni plays a supporting role, firing on the Dread Masters’ forces from behind Nox and providing temporary relief for any wounds that the Sith sustains.

It surprises her just how easy it is to work with Darth Nox.  Nox says little apart from curt instructions, but she almost always senses what Kulah’ni is going to do before Kulah’ni even does it.  She allows their enemies to land only a few minor hits on Kulah’ni, and she dismantles the terraforming devices quickly and efficiently and with none of the destructive glee that Kulah’ni has seen from Sith before.

When she stays close to Nox, the planet’s atmosphere doesn’t seem to affect her at all.  Of course, the result of that is that all Kulah’ni wants to do is sleep, but she holds out as best as she can.

She’s healing a gouge in Nox’s arm that cut right through to the skin.  Nox fidgets under her hands; without thinking, Kulah’ni places a hand on her shoulder and mutters, “Hold still.”

She doesn’t realize it until later, but Nox doesn’t move an inch after that.

By the time they return to camp five more hours have passed, and Nox immediately makes her way over to where Ashara is waiting.  Kulah’ni searches for her squad members, only to find Aric arguing with the rest of the Imperial leaders about which mission objective to go through first.

“Lieutenant,” she calls sharply.

“Sir!” he replies, snapping to a salute.  He at least has the decency to look sheepish.  “Sorry, sir.”

One of the Imperial commanders shoots Aric a disdainful look.  “Your second-in-command is very… outspoken with his opinion.”

“Or maybe I’m just not afraid of Imperial scum,” he mutters. 

“Pull yourselves together,” Kulah’ni orders.  “We don’t like each other.  Fine.  We’re going to have to suck it up and get this done.  Our mission here is more important than our prejudices.”

Now even the Imperial commander looks cowed.

“Major Dorne is correct,” Nox announces, nearly making Kulah’ni jump out of her skin.  “If we’re going to win this, we need cooperation.  Not head-butting.”

Kulah’ni’s head is still clear, but she can feel the Dread Masters’ influence creeping back in again— like a buzzing on the edge of her mind.  She allows Aric to attend the strategy meeting in her stead while she checks up on the rest of her squad, who are gathered together with the rest of the Republic soldiers.

Tanno is out cold.  Yuun is meditating.  Forex seems to be shut down for the moment, and Elara is awake, staring off into the distance.

“You should be resting,” Kulah’ni admonishes.

“I got a few hours,” Elara assures her.  “It’s hard to get any more than that.”

“I know what you mean.”

They’re careful about their relationship in public, and even more careful when they’re in the company of hundreds of Imperial troops.  Still, Kulah’ni sits close enough to Elara that their shoulders brush, and no one even looks twice at them. 

“I half expected you not to come back,” Elara admits.  “Being out there with a Sith— and a member of the Dark Council, too.”

“She seems reasonable enough,” Kulah’ni admits, though she hasn’t forgotten about how terrified all of the Imperial soldiers seem to be of Nox.  “She can hold her own in a fight.  Her mental shields didn’t falter once.”

‘Hold her own’ is a bit of an understatement, really, but Kulah’ni is too exhausted to correct herself. 

Elara watches her with a pained expression.  “You need sleep far more than the rest of us, you know.  You’ve been awake for far longer; I don’t care what your Jedi training does for you.”

Kulah’ni knows that Elara is right.  Still, there’s no rest for her; she needs to keep working.

“I can practically see the gears turning in your head,” Elara continues, rolling her eyes.  “Sleep, or by the Force I will sit on you and _make_ you sleep.”

Kulah’ni raises an eyebrow, but she lies down on her back, staring up at the mauve clouds rolling across the sky.  It’s strange; right now, they almost look beautiful.

* * *

 

She’s shaken awake, and finds herself staring at Darth Nox’s mask.

“We need to go,” Nox says.

Elara is still next to her; she is watching Nox with narrowed eyes.  Nox doesn’t even seem to glance at her.

Kulah’ni sits up.  “What do you need?”

“Backup.  Ashara will be accompanying us this time; you may bring one of your own squad as well.”

“That’s my cue,” Elara announces.  At Kulah’ni’s look, she says, “You know I’m right.”

She is.  Tanno is not the best person to take into combat on a planet like this, Aric seems to be doing his best to hold the Republic troops together, and Yuun is more sensitive to what the Dread Masters are doing to this planet than the rest of them.  As for Forex… Kulah’ni isn’t sure that he wouldn’t shoot Nox as soon as they were away from the camp.

“Fine,” she says.  “Let’s get moving.”

* * *

 

“You know,” Nox says, “I’m pleasantly surprised, Major.  You’re not half as bull-headed as most of the Jedi I’ve faced.”

Kulah’ni thinks of Torunna and hides a smile.  “Not all of them are as bad as you think they are.  For a Sith, you’ve exceeded my expectations as well.”

Nox is silent for a moment, and Kulah’ni thinks she might have said something wrong, but then she says, “Good to know.”

On Nox’s other side, Ashara is wearing a troubled frown.  “Did a Jedi train you at some point, Major Dorne?”

Startled by the question, Kulah’ni blinks.  There’s no reason for her to lie – not really – but she’s still wary of answering the question. 

“I… yes.  I was raised in the temple.  Though not as a Jedi, exactly.”

Ashara’s eyebrows jump up.  “I remember you!  You were Master Felmar’s ward.  Master Felmar’s classes on philosophy were always fascinating; she wasn’t afraid to explain aspects of the Dark Side to us.  You must have been lucky to have her as your master.  And all of the other masters held you as an example of what inner peace should be.”

“I’m not a Jedi,” Kulah’ni murmurs.

“I know.  Just… it’s a small galaxy, is all.  Listen, I have something I want to ask you—“

“No, Ashara,” Nox suddenly interrupts.

“What?”  Ashara stares at Nox.  “But she would be perfect!  She was raised as a Jedi but she’s a member of the military.  She has a unique perspective.  She could help!”

“I said no.”

Ashara looks bewildered and slightly hurt.  Kulah’ni exchanges a glance with Elara; this is one of the strangest conversations that she’s ever been a part of.  The conversation is also getting dangerously close to the fact that she and Elara are both Imperial born and that one of them is a defector.

“What do you need my help with?” Kulah’ni asks Ashara, curious in spite of herself. 

“Absolutely nothing,” Nox replies, voice hard and cold.

The conversation dies down for a while after that.  They move through the hills, facing down more soldiers and trying to stay hidden.  Ashara and Nox continue their argument in voices that are too low to hear, and Kulah’ni can’t shake the feeling that there’s something she’s missing.

* * *

 

It’s been three days, but they’re at the final stage.  Nox and Kulah’ni are preparing to assault the temple that looms in the distance (alone this time; the rest of the forces are providing a distraction) when Aric comes up to her.

“A word, sir?”

At Kulah’ni’s nod, they move over to a cluster of tents where there aren’t many soldiers around to overhear them.  Kulah’ni gives him to nod to go ahead once she’s sure that they don’t have any eavesdroppers.

“Watch out for Nox,” he mutters.  “She might seem decent now, but I listened in on a conversation that some Imps were having nearby.  They were talking about Makeb.”

Kulah’ni knows that, shortly after Havoc evacuated as many people as the Ark could carry, a massive series of groundquakes killed the rest of the planet’s inhabitants.  She also knows that the planet was never actually destroyed, but the Empire has firm control over it now, and there’s little that the Republic can do.

“What about Makeb?”

“Nox was there.  She’s the one who headed the op that prevented the planet from being destroyed.  She’s also the one who gave the order to trigger the groundquakes.”

Kulah’ni digests this information.  Briefly, she wonders if Nox would sacrifice this entire encampment to ensure that the Dread Masters would not return. 

“We need her,” she tells Aric.  “Regardless of what she’s done in the past.  But for the record, I’m not blind.  I know that being reasonable doesn’t necessarily mean that she’s a good person.”

Even so, a part of Kulah’ni has difficulty in reconciling the Nox who has consistently put her own life on the line to get things done with someone who would end millions of lives for no discernable reason.

She and Nox leave the camp first, once the plan has been made.  They’ll make their way to the temple while the rest of the soldiers attack the heaviest line of Dread Soldiers, and hopefully they’ll be able to the Sith holocron that the Dread Masters use. 

The trip there is silent and quick, with no fighting on the way.  There are still soldiers guarding the temple in spite of their efforts, but Nox waves her hand and suddenly they start yelling and shooting at thin air.  She motions for Kulah’ni to follow her, and they slip past unseen.

Walking into the temple is like wading into a wave of toxic waste.  Kulah’ni feels herself burning before suddenly shivering.  Her body can’t seem to figure out what to do about accommodating to her surroundings.

For the first time, Nox falters.  It’s for barely a second.

“What?” Kulah’ni asks.

But then she sees it.  Lying in front of the holocron in a crumpled heap, eyes wide open and glassy, is Elara.

For a moment Kulah’ni is unable to speak.  The word ‘no’ rings through her head until it’s all that she can hear, and then she’s lunging for her wife, desperate to get to her, to do _anything_ to save her—

Nox’s hand closes around her wrist.

“Use your logic,” the Sith says.  “They don’t want us attacking.  This is a distraction.  What was all that Jedi training for if you can’t clear you head?”

With an enormous amount of effort, Kulah’ni closes her eyes.  She focuses on Elara, who she knows must be alive and well, preparing to fight alongside the rest of their forces.  When she opens her eyes again, the corpse is gone.

“Come on,” Nox says.  “Both generators need to be broken.”

They split up accordingly.  Kulah’ni pours laser bolts into one of the generators, destroying it in seconds.  When she’s finished, she turns around to see Nox staring at her generator like she can’t figure out what to do with it.

“Nox?” she calls.

Nox gives herself a shake (what is it she’s seeing?) and uses the Force to rip the generator off the wall, tossing it to the side.  It seems excessive to Kulah’ni, but she doesn’t protest.

“Let’s get that holocron,” she says, striding over to it and ignoring the fact that Elara’s body seems to be in the corner of her eye no matter which way she looks. 

“Wait,” Nox calls.  “Jedi training or no, I doubt it’s safe for you.”

She comes up next to Kulah’ni, the shadows of the temple interiors making it look more like she’s gliding than walking.  There is no hesitation when she reaches out for the holocron this time, but her grip on it seems tighter than necessary.

“We knew you would come.”

They both jump, but the voice is disembodied; Kulah’ni knows that it must be from one of the Dread Masters.  She lays a hand on her holdout blaster anyway, just in case.

“Sorry,” Nox says, “I’m fairly certain that ‘seeding fear into the hearts of others’ and ‘seeing the future’ are not the same thing.  Try again.”

“It’s called logic,” the voice replies.

“Never was my strong suit.”

“In spite of how foolish it was for you to come here,” the voice continues, “we knew it was your only option.  How else would you take responsibility for your own mistakes, Darth Nox?”

Kulah’ni glances at Nox.

“Is your ally aware that _you_ are the one who set us free?”

“It was the Emperor’s job to keep you in check, not mine.”

Before Kulah’ni can stop herself, she says, “That sounds like an excuse to me.”

“Thank you, Major Dorne,” Nox snarls.  “I’m here now.  You could spare us your dramatics and come face me yourselves.  After all, we already know who the victor is.”

“But that isn’t why you are here.”  It’s a woman’s voice this time.  “You think you chose to come here, but we made it so.”

A third voice, another woman’s.  “As we lost Styrak, we now lose ourselves.  There is not one who could truly replace him, but you will suffice.”

At this, Nox laughs.  Kulah’ni shivers at the sound.

“ _Really_?” she says.  “You brought me all the way to Oricon so that I could become one of you?  You do realize that I’m already part of a club for dark lords, do you not?  Granted, you do seem to operate more efficiently than we do…”

“You laugh,” the first voice said, “But we will tear your mind apart and rebuild it in our image.  You may have resisted us once, but we have gained power since then.  You cannot hope to stand against us.”

Nox shook her head.  “You really don’t want to be delving into my mind too far.”

“But it’s mere child’s play…”

Kulah’ni’s frown deepens, but the next thing she knows Nox has started to shake violently.  The Sith braces herself against the pedestal where the holocron sat, and Kulah’ni can hear harsh breaths coming from her. 

“Oh, look,” the second voice coos.  “So easy to break you.”

Kulah’ni doesn’t know what to do.  It’s very obvious to her that they are deliberately sparing her from whatever it is Nox is going through right now— which means that they’re not concerned about her interfering.  She doesn’t have the Force.  She can’t do anything to help Nox right now.

She’ll be damned if she doesn’t try, though.

“Nox,” she says.  “Nox, look at me.”

Nox doesn’t move her head.

Kulah’ni places both hands on Nox’s shoulders and wheels her around to face her.  The Sith stills under her touch, but doesn’t respond otherwise. 

“Listen,” Kulah’ni tries again.  “Whatever they’re showing to you— it isn’t real.  They can’t hurt your physically.  Don’t let them hurt you mentally.”

A week ago, if someone had told Kulah’ni that she would be trying to comfort a Dark Council member while their mind was being attacked by fellow Sith, she would have laughed awkwardly and then gotten away from that person as quickly as possible.

“Your pathetic attempts to save her mean nothing, child.”  This time Kulah’ni knows that they’re speaking to her.  “One way or another, she will be ours.”

“ _Nox_!” shouts Kulah’ni.

The protection that Darth Nox offers her is starting to wear thin.  Kulah’ni feels like vomiting the contents of her stomach onto the temple floor.  She knows that they need to go— they have the holocron, and the Dread Masters’ forces will be on their way.  Desperately, she searches for the stun darts that she keeps as part of her tool belt, and jabs one as hard as she can. 

It manages to get through the leather of Nox’s armor.  Nox goes limp.

Kulah’ni knows that she has even less time now.  The madness will begin to take its toll soon, and she isn’t strong enough to fight it.

The clanking of armored footsteps reaches her ears.  Her heart sinks as she looks up and sees several Dread Sith enter the temple door, lightsabers drawn.

Before any of the Sith can even move against her, however, a blue lightsaber spears the heart of one of them.  Another is sliced neatly in half without making so much as a sound, and the third puts up a bit of a fight until Ashara sinks her lightsaber into his gut. 

Kulah’ni is the one shaking, now.  There are hundreds of voices trying to crawl into her head. 

“Easy,” Ashara soothes her, when she takes an involuntary step back.  Behind Ashara, Aric hurries into the temple, his eyes widening when he takes in the scene.

“Guess we got here just in time.”  He levels a glare at her.  “Had to pull your ass out of the fire.  Again.”

Kulah’ni doesn’t have the energy to roll her eyes.

Ashara lifts Nox in a bridal carry, nodding at them.  “We need to get her out of here.  She’ll recover, but she needs to be anywhere except this temple.  Do we have the holocron?”

Kulah’ni nods.

“Good.  Then let’s move.”

* * *

 

Ashara finds Kulah’ni again, a few hours after their return to camp.  The wounded are being treated, as well as those who didn’t make it back with their minds intact.  Whether Nox is one among them remains to be seen.

“I wanted to let you know that Darth Nox and her crew— myself included— are being ordered to withdraw.”

Kulah’ni blinks.  “Really?  Is it that bad?”

“No, I believe she will recover.  But I reported to Darth Marr, and he was… discouraged by what you told me the Dread Masters said.  He doesn’t want her to risk being compromised, since they seem so hell-bent on having her join them.”

Up until now, Kulah’ni has been seated on the grounded, her half-disassembled assault cannon in front of her.  She’s polished the components and checked for damage, noting that some minor repairs will have to be made once she gets back to the Thunderclap.

Now, she stands.  “If you want to get Nox to safety, my team and I would be happy to finish the job of stopping the Dread Masters.”

Ashara hesitates her eyebrows scrunching up.  “Actually, Darth Marr has ordered me to escort you and your team off-world.  He assures me that his emissary will handle it.”

Kulah’ni sighs.  “I’m not all that keen on taking orders from a Sith.  And I don’t know if I trust your people to handle it.”

“You took orders from my master,” Ashara points out.  “And… for what it’s worth, I know who he’s sending.  I have confidence in their ability to take care of it.”

Kulah’ni looks down at her weapon, which is half-reassembled.  She notices Aric watching her from the other side of the camp.

“I won’t ask,” she finally says.  “And I trust your judgment.  I’d like to know, though… what did you want to say, earlier?”

“Oh, that?  Nothing serious.  I just wanted to ask if you’d consider defecting from the Republic and joining Nox’s power base.”

Kulah’ni’s in the middle of picking up the cannon when Ashara says that; she nearly drops it.  “Uh… that’s very kind of you…?”

Ashara laughs.  “It isn’t.  You don’t have to lie to me.  But you’re a good person.  We need more of those.”  She steps up to her and carefully puts a hand on Kulah’ni’s shoulder.  “For what it’s worth, all those rumors about you back at the Temple… you should’ve been a Jedi.  You would’ve been magnificent.”

Kulah’ni shifts, and does her best to hide the fact that that’s the last thing she wants to hear from anyone. 

Ashara’s smile falters.  “I’m sorry,” she says, drawing back.  “I didn’t think…”

_Be kind._   “It’s fine,” Kulah’ni says, her words coming out shorter than she meant them to.  “It really shouldn’t matter so much anymore.”

“It’s not a crime that it does.”

The smile comes back, sadder this time.  For a moment, Ashara opens her mouth, like she wants to say something else, then she closes it again.  Kulah’ni pretends that she hasn’t seen anything.

“I’d better go let my crew know,” she says.  “We’ll be ready for departure ASAP.”

“Thank you.  For everything.”

* * *

 

The Thunderclap drifts through space above Balmorra.  As punishment for willingly taking orders from an Imperial, Havoc Squad has been assigned to help with cleanup there for the next few months.  Kulah’ni isn’t upset about it.  The mission involves helping people who desperately need it, after all.

They’ve been doing heavy lifting of debris all day.  Elara is already passed out in bed; the rest of her squad are in the crew quarters, dead to the world.  Kulah’ni is the only one still awake, filing reports and trying not to let her eyes droop while she drinks more caf.

The chime of her holocomm startles her, and she stares blankly at the offending device, figuring that it’s General Harkos, her superior on Balmorra.  Therefore, she isn’t expecting a familiar, imposing figure to appear on her screen.

“Major Dorne,” says Nox.  “I’m glad to see you well.”

“Same to you, Nox,” Kulah’ni replies cautiously.  “Do I want to know how you got this frequency?”

“Probably not.”  Nox shifts stances so that her hands are clasped behind her back.  “I hear I have you to thank for my survival on Oricon— both mentally and physically.”

“That depends,” Kulah’ni replies.  “I don’t think either of us would have lived to tell the tale if it weren’t for Ashara.”

“Hmm.  Perhaps.  Either way, you were of great assistance to myself, my crew, and all of the soldiers on that Force-forsaken planet.  You should be happy to know that the next strike force that the Empire sent was successful in eliminating the Dread Masters once and for all.”

“That’s good news.”  The galaxy would breathe easier.

“Indeed.”  Nox straightens up even further.  “I’m not calling just so we can parrot platitudes at one another.  No matter how _you_ may view the situation, I am in your debt.”

“That’s not necessary—“

“I insist.”  When Kulah’ni doesn’t try to protest again, she continues.  “As it stands, I now owe you a favor, Major Dorne.  Name it, and if it is within my power, I shall grant it to you.”

Kulah’ni stares blankly, until a thought— something that she hasn’t dwelt on in a long time— hits her.  She has all but given up on this possibility, and yet here is one of the most influential people in the Empire, offering her their services.  Even the part of her that was disciplined by her Jedi training cannot help but hope that this could be the chance she’s been waiting for.

“There’s a woman I’m looking for,” she says.  “White hair, yellow eyes…”  She swallows.  “Possibly facial scarring, I’m not really sure.  She was sold into slavery at the age of seven; I last saw her on Dantooine.  Her name is S’kora Jaenn.  I know it’s a long shot— slaves die early, and I don’t know how well-documented they are in the Empire, but… if there’s anything you can do…”

“You want me to find her.”

“Yes.  Please.”

Nox remains silent for a long time while Kulah’ni waits with bated breath.  Her hands are shaking.

Finally, Nox says, “I’ll do what I can, but I make no promises.”

Kulah’ni exhales.  “That’s enough for me.  Thank you.”

Nox gives her a nod, then ends the transmission, leaving Kulah’ni alone with the hum of her ship.

* * *

 

S’kora removes her helmet immediately, then presses one hand to her mouth to keep a ragged sob from escaping her.

**Author's Note:**

> 1\. Regarding the title: I call it 'Black Hole' because events are starting to inexorably pull S'kora and Kulah'ni back towards one another.
> 
> 2\. S'kora is most definitely a Sith, and a user of the Dark Side. Kulah'ni is going to learn that the hard way. 
> 
> 3\. The other Imperial strike force that was briefly mentioned is the Emperor's Wrath. More about them later.
> 
> 4\. It's around this point in the story that other class characters may start to appear (besides Torunna, the Consular). There will be some focus on them, though not to the extent of S'kora and Kulah'ni.
> 
> Those are all of the notes for now. Thanks for reading! If you have any questions or just want to talk, come by my [tumblr](http://jaennsisters.tumblr.com)!


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